Interep & NABOB Meet With Wal-Mart

Sits Down With Interep & NABOB

INTEREP joined with NABOB (NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK OWNED BROADCASTERS) to form a delegation to meet with WAL-MART at their headquarters in BENTONVILLE, AR. The NABOB delegation was given unprecedented access to WAL-MART officials to discuss the company’s current multicultural marketing strategy and the role black and Urban radio will play in the company’s future media plans.

INTEREP SVP/Director of Urban Marketing SHERMAN KIZART said, “INTEREP began working on this meeting back in JUNE when GWEN KELLY publicly announced at INTEREP’s POWER of URBAN RADIO that she had accepted the position of Sr. Marketing Manager for WAL-MART’s African-American initiatives. Based on our relationship with GWEN, and her strong belief in the power of Urban radio to engage the ethnic community, we were able to arrange for this historic meeting with WAL-MART.”

Wal-Martâ??s recognition of the importance of using African American-owned media to reach our communities will be a very influential signal to other companies that they must use the right media to have their messages properly received.

KELLY added, “WAL-MART was delighted to have SHERMAN and the entire NABOB delegation visit our headquarters and spend time discussing the important role that radio can play in an advertiser’s overall marketing mix. This was an opportunity of learning for both NABOB as well as for WAL-MART. For NABOB, it was the opportunity for the delegation to get a 'snapshot' of how WAL-MART serves the African-American customer from the vantage point of various stakeholders throughout this organization. And the opportunity for WAL-MART was to get exposure to information demonstrating how the radio medium -- which is tremendous in reaching ethnic consumers -- could be of more strategic and tactical use in carrying the WAL-MART branding message.” 

Members of the INTEREP-led NABOB delegation included: PERRY PUBLISHING & BROADCASTING VP/National Sales DEBBIE SCHAER; SUPERADIO COO JACK BRYANT; KJLH/LOS ANGELES VP/National Sales AL WARD; RADIO ONE VP/Operations ZEMIRA JONES; GLORY COMMUNICATIONS Pres./CEO ALEX SNIPE; and INNER CITY BROADCAST HOLDINGS Pres./COO CHARLES WARFIELD, who was unable to attend. RAB VP/National Marketing SHAWN MARSHALL and ARBITRON Dir./Multicultural Markets JULIAN DAVIS also attended the meetings.

NABOB Exec. Dir. and General Counsel JAMES WINSTON said, "NABOB is very pleased to have been invited by WAL-MART for this important meeting. WAL-MART’s recognition of the importance of using African American-owned media to reach our communities will be a very influential signal to other companies that they must use the right media to have their messages properly received."

KELLY summarized the meetings, saying, “We hope with the learning and exchange of ideas that has been provided, we have created the opportunity for radio to approach WAL-MART with smarter scenarios for its inclusion in our future multicultural marketing efforts.”

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